Simple Signposting to Better Health and Wellbeing
West Northamptonshire
Self-care and National Support Services
Give reassurances that there are lots of sources of support and help your bereaved person make contact with sources of support.
If you are worried that this person is in crisis, please see section for Suicide Prevention
If no immediate risk take the following steps:
Encourage and support them to contact:
National Bereavement Service
Most people will have to take responsibility for all the practical arrangements after a death, at least once in their lives. For others, it can be many more times. In any circumstance, loss is a difficult and often distressing time.
The National Bereavement Service offers practical and emotional support to guide you through what needs to be done. We can introduce the bereaved to trusted partner organisations in both private and charitable sectors, as well as provide information on the statutory requirements following loss, such as the registration of death and probate.
Tel: 0800 0246 121 Website: https://thenbs.org/
Cruse
Cruse offers advice and information about types of support, where to get it, and help supporting other people. They also have a telephone helpline and webchat service enabling people to talk about how they are feeling Home - Cruse Bereavement Support.
Supporting other people - Cruse Bereavement Support
Mind
The charity Mind has a wealth of information about different types of bereavement, where to go for support and suggestions for helping yourself and others Support and self-care for grief - Mind. This includes a dedicated section with information on Losing someone to suicide - Mind
Age UK
Bereavement - Find support with coping | Age UK
Child Bereavement UK
Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.
Tel: 0800 02 888 40 Website: https://www.childbereavementuk.org/
SELF CARE
- Encourage the person to contact their GP. Their GP will be able support the person in many ways
- Mind 'The charity for better mental health' has an extensive range of self help resources available
- The NHS have has a range of self-help tools available
- Andy's Man Club provides a weekly talking group, a place for men to come together in a safe environment to talk about issues/problems they be have faced or currently been facing. Meetings take place regularly in different locations across the region, where applicable these can be found in the local support and contact details section.
- For Men -CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer accredited, confidential and free support to men anywhere in the UK through a helpline and web and webchat service. They talk through any issue with you and offer support, advice and signposting.
- Qwell - Free, safe and anonymous mental wellbeing support for adults across the UK
- Kooth - is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous support, for 11-25 year olds
Every Mind Matters
‘Every Mind Matters’ is the first national mental health campaign from Public Health England
- It’s an NHS-approved digital hub full of expert advice and practical tips to achieve good mental health
- It also has a free NHS-approved online tool - ‘Your Mind Plan’ to help us:
- deal with stress
- boost our mood
- improve our sleep
- feel more in control.
Search online for 'Every Mind Matters'
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Support Services - Adults
Adults can self-refer to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT is a national NHS programme, which offers evidence based psychological therapies or interventions approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). IAPT is primarily for treating people with mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
IAPT treatments are delivered via a stepped care model where patients are initially offered low intensity therapies, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and guided self-help. If these treatments are unsuccessful, or not appropriate for individuals, higher intensity therapies are utilised and include one to one cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT). Please see local support and contact details for further information.
Support Services - Veterans
Veterans Combat Stress is the UK's leading mental health charity for veterans. They offer free, confidential 24-hour support to Service and ex-Service personnel who are experiencing mental health issues, including feeling suicidal.
Tel: 0800 138 1619
Web: https://www.combatstress.org.uk/help-you
Support Services - Perinatal
PANDAS Foundation
The PANDAS Foundation is here to help support and advise any parent who is experiencing a perinatal mental illness. We are also here to inform and guide family members, carers, friends and employers as to how they can support someone who is suffering.
Tel: 0843 2898401 (0900 - 2000 hrs, 7 days per week)
Web: http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/
Support Services - Carers
The Carers Trust
It is important that you take care of your own health, even if you are busy looking after someone else's health. Being healthy is not only important for you, but it also helps the person you care after too. The website contains some helpful guides on relationship management and information on self-care and respite care.
Support Services - Children and Young People
Children and Young People can contact the 'The Mix which is a leading support service that can help young people to take on any challenge they are facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs.
- Tel: 0808 0808 4994 (Freephone)
- Web: http://www.themix.org.uk/
For Parents
YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline, which parents/careers can call if they are worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. They also run a group called Parents Say, for parents whose children are accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
Web: https://youngminds.org.uk/
Local Support Services
Self-care and National Support Services
If you think the person you are concerned about is in immediate danger or needs urgent care, please call 999.
Whilst there are some amazing national services available, we recommend a local first approach. A list of local services can be found at the foot of this text
Street Link is a national service which can be used by members of the public if they see people sleeping rough. Referrals can be made using the hotline (0300 500 0914) or online at Street Link.
This service aims to connect rough sleepers with appropriate services, both statutory and voluntary. Local resources for rough sleepers vary greatly across the country. They can include day centres, contact and assessment teams, soup kitchens and soup runs. Details of such resources can often be obtained by contacting local authorities.
Street assessment teams give rough sleepers information about available health care, night shelters and hostels, and other resources for homeless people. Some hostels and night shelters will only take referrals from a contact and assessment team worker. Some outreach teams will work with people on a long-term basis.
Information on over 9,000 services - hostels, day centres and other advice and support services for homeless people and those at risk of homelessness can be found at: www.homelessuk.org/
Not sure which local authority area to choose? If you know a postcode you can check which local authority area here.
Local Support Services
West Northamptonshire
- Having a safe and warm home is important for your health & wellbeing - look after it and it'll look after you
- Make sure you look into all your options to find suitable housing.
- You can get Housing advise and support from West Northamptonshire Council
- DON'T let issues build up, delay seeking advice, or think that you have no control over the situation
- The Northants Warm Homes Partnership provides help and advice to all residents who want to lower their fuel bills through insulation and other home emergency improvements.
- Assessment of entitlement to housing for people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness
- Armed forces can access support here: https://www.afcnorthamptonshire.co.uk/housing-advice/Pages/housing.aspx
- https://www.northampton.gov.uk/directory/28/housing-information-and-advice
- https://www.bhbh.org.uk/make-a-referral/
Self-care and National Support Services
Self-Care - Adults
Healthy brushing advice: (Click here for further information)
- brush at least twice daily, last thing at night and at least on one other occasion with a fluoridated toothpaste
- spit out after brushing and do not rinse (Spit, Don’t Rinse!), to maintain fluoride concentration levels
- use fluoridated toothpaste (1,350-1,500ppm fluoride)
Eat Well (See Act section of MECC Link – Healthy Eating)
Quit Smoking (See Act section of MECC Link - Smoking)
Reduce your Alcohol intake (See Act section of MECC Link - Alcohol)
Finding a dentist
Routine dental care:
- The NHS website enables you to find local NHS services, including dentists. You will need to contact the dental practice directly and check whether they are currently accepting NHS patients
Urgent dental care:
- call your dentist: some practices offer appointments at short notice
- if you don't have a dentist, find one using NHS 111
Self-Care Children
Healthy brushing advice: (Click here for further information)
- brush at least twice daily, last thing at night and at least on one other occasion with a fluoridated toothpaste
- spit out after brushing and do not rinse (Spit, Don’t Rinse!), to maintain fluoride concentration levels
- use fluoridated toothpaste:
- Children aged up to 3 years: use a smear of toothpaste containing no less than 1000 parts per million fluoride
- Children aged over 3 years use a pea size amount of fluoride toothpaste containing 1350 -1500 parts per million fluoride
Try and keep within the recommended intake of free sugars which is no more than:
- 19g (5 sugar cubes) per day for 4 to 6 year olds
- 24g (6 sugar cubes) per day for 6 to 10 year olds
- 30g (7 sugar cubes) per day for 11 years and older
Finding a dentist
Routine dental care:
- The NHS website enables you to find local NHS services, including dentists. You will need to contact the dental practice directly and check whether they are currently accepting NHS patients
- Take your child to the dentist when their first teeth come through
- Take your child with you when you visit the dentist, so they may receive preventive dental care
Urgent dental care:
- call your dentist: some practices offer appointments at short notice
- if you don't have a dentist, find one using NHS 111
Local Support Services
West Northamptonshire
Self-care and National Support Services
Connect with Resources: Inform veterans or their families about available resources, services, and support networks that can address any specific needs
SSAFA - The Armed forces Covenant Fund Trust
Contains links to support for:
- Alcohol
- Cost of living support
- Healthy Diet and Health Weight
- Mental Wellbeing
- Physical Health
- Smoking
- Social Isolation and Loneliness
- Suicide Prevention
Web: https://www.mecclink.co.uk/veteran-support/